OVERCOMING DEPRESSION
By Rev Michael Benson Ajayi
"Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again— my Savior and my God! Now I am deeply discouraged, but I will remember you— even from distant Mount Hermon, the source of the Jordan, from the land of Mount Mizar."Psalms 42:5-6 NLT
Depression is the feelings of severe despondency and dejection. It is often common during economic recession . Depression is a sense of hopelessness . It is the result of exposure to bad news by sceptics . Depression starts when a person makes the choice to avoid God's word.
God's word serve as a filter to bad news. The word of God is the ultimate comforter , that is why when Israel was in bondage in Babylon, words of comfort were given to the faithful as they became depressed . Their faith in God and hope for a better future was rekindled in their moment of grief .
The bible says "“Comfort, oh comfort my people,” says your God. “Speak softly and tenderly to Jerusalem, but also make it very clear That she has served her sentence, that her sin is taken care of—forgiven! She’s been punished enough and more than enough, and now it’s over and done with.” Thunder in the desert! “Prepare for God ’s arrival! Make the road straight and smooth, a highway fit for our God. Fill in the valleys, level off the hills, Smooth out the ruts, clear out the rocks. Then God ’s bright glory will shine and everyone will see it. Yes. Just as God has said.” Isaiah 40:1-5 MSG
From the above scripture, God is making a way and rebuilding the broken pieces of your life . You may not see physical signs but with the eyes of faith things are turning around for your good. .
We can avoid deep depression despite experiencing some tough times .The bible says " We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed.
... That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, " 2 Cor.4:8-9,16-18.
Many preachers attribute hard times to ancestral curses that need breaking , marine spirits and other fables but reading through Apostle Paul's testimony we see that isn't the case . Preachers go through hardship too ( bad governance, poor electricity ,air pollution, bad roads , robbery , hours in traffic , marital difficulties: does it mean they are demonized ? Read Paul's testimony (2Cor.11:23-28) Despite these hardships he was not depressed . In our prayers we should always ask for the fruits of the Spirit (Gal.5:22-23)
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